Uncategorized – Page 13 – Coffee and Inclusion

Ballad

After we (finally!) made it through Alex’s homework assignment tonight, he told me that he was sad today because his friend Erick had to leave school early. Apparently, Erick got sick in art class. After explaining this to me, Al grabbed a nearby toy to use as a microphone and launched into a ballad worthy of long hair and leopard print jeans:

Errrrrrrrrrick!! I miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiss you!
But you threw uuuuuuuuuuuuuup!
I looooooove you!

(Repeat, at least 14 times.)

Erick, we hope you feel well soon!

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Refresher

It’s no secret that our schedules are nuts around here. The kids are fortunate in that they can participate in lots of activities, and Mark and I also have at least one “night out” where we can get a break. Our schedules are quite opposite these days, but he and I both need the break away from the chaos.

Right now, my break falls on Wednesday nights, when I attend a bible study class at my church. Not only is it a chance for my to expand my understanding of my religion, but it is also time for me to sit and catch my breath. I can listen to and participate in conversations with friends, without being asked for more chocolate milk, or breaking up a fight, or telling someone to get away from the dog. It’s lovely.

I leave with a feeling of peace, and although it’s a fleeting moment (as I’m all too soon back to filling cups of chocolate milk and yelling about the dog), it gets me through to Sundays, when I can once again sit quietly and enjoy the peace.

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Noseblind

Noseblind. Have you heard this term? Brought to us by Febreze (at least, this is where I first heard it), this phenomenon occurs when you are around something so often that you no longer notice its smell.

This is a nightmare for me.

I inherited my dad’s weirdly strong sense of smell; I swear, we were a bunch of blood hounds in our previous lives. I can smell things from quite a distance; as you can imagine, strongly smelling places (the seafood department at grocery stores, Crabtree & Evelyn stores, public restrooms) hit me like a ton of bricks.

I’m sure that my house, full of kids and a stinky dog, gets smelly. I am pretty much always overwhelmed with the kids and their stuff (homework, activities, behavior…), so the housework often takes a backseat. Yes, gross, but what can you do? I am a huge fan of Scentsy and Febreze, baking soda to deodorize the couch, and vinegar. One of my goals in life is to stay ahead of the stink. I’ve been known to ask people if my house “smells like dog” when they come to visit. I’m hoping they tell the truth, because I know that noseblindness is a real thing.

So, do me a favor: if you’re ever at my house and smell dogs (or kids), please tell me. I’ll conquer it quickly with my arsenal of air fresheners.

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Monnnnnnnnnnnnnnday

Longest. Day. Ever.

Actually, just from 4:30pm to now has been awful. The rest of today, not so much. But good gravy has this evening sucked.

Alex got all smiley faces at school today, which lends a perfect explanation as to why he is so difficult tonight. From battling over homework, dinner, more homework, and the reasons why we can’t eat Oreos after we brush our teeth, I have completely had it with this day.

Mark bowls on Monday nights, and I texted him earlier asking for peanut butter pie and some Valium. I didn’t get a response (his phone either died or he turned it off so as to not feel obligated to read my pathetic play by plays of life at home), so Plan B is to dive into that bag of mini Reece’s that I bought yesterday while watching what’s left of Dancing with the Stars.

Seriously, is it Friday yet?

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Stinking Phone

I am due for a new phone.

I just tried to update my little iPhone 4S to the new iOS, only to have wasted an hour of time deleting apps and trying to find the space needed for the download. Such a pain! After pretty much wiping the stinking thing clean, I still needed space, so I started deleting old texts. But, this somehow wiped out a bunch of my contacts and disabled texting all together. Fun!

I spent some more time reentering contact information into my phone, only to find that even after deleting all those old messages, I still somehow don’t have enough room. I don’t understand. With nothing left on the phone (I even took my email accounts off to do the upload!), how can there not be enough room?

I lost my patience and started reinstalling apps. iOS8 can suck it right now. Except now my phone isn’t downloading the “must have” apps that I am attempting to restore.

Technology can be a real bitch sometimes. Now I get to decide whether to wait until Friday morning, when I have a whopping two hours to myself, to get a new phone, or to bravely march into the Sprint store after school, with all three kids. Torture, either way.

Author’s note: Yes, I know there are greater things in life with which I could be struggling. But, it’s been a rough day and I’m tired and hungry (why would I eat dinner before 10pm? Ugh.) and just feel like whining about my stinking phone.

End rant. Good night.

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#3

Ugh. I really hate missing blog posts. I guess that since this was the only third miss so far this year, it’s not so bad.

It was a long, challenging week. Our schedules are busy, the kids have homework, the house is a mess, and I’m working outside of the house for the first time since all three kids have been in school. It’s rough. I’m hoping we’re still getting used to the transition, rather than just failing miserably. We’ll see.

Anyway, I am completely worn down, and although I meant to write a blog last night, I just forgot. It happens.

Here’s to a better week.

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Lessons from Andrew

This just happened:

Andrew came skipping into the kitchen. “Mommy, can I have a grape juice?”

“You already had one,” I answered as I sorted through all the papers that came home from school.

“What?!? That does not answer my question, Mommy.”

“NO, Andrew, you may not have a juice because you already had one,” I replied, with perhaps just a smidge of exasperation.

“There you go, Mommy. Now that’s an answer. You just had to be more pacific.”

“Well, ok then, buddy. Go play.”

Then he went skipping back out of the kitchen, en route to the next bout of mischief.

Happy weekend!

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Meltdowns

We dealt with too many meltdowns tonight for me to write anything interesting.

Fortunately, tomorrow is Friday.

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It Really Does Rock

We’ve been listening to Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks! a lot lately. I loved this cd when it was released, and now my kids love it too. So, we rock out in the car to the likes of I’m Just a Bill and My Hero, Zero.

Perhaps my favorite on this cd, though, is Better Than Ezra’s presentation of Conjunction Junction. It makes me quite happy.

Find the cd. Rock out in the car. You won’t be disappointed.

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As Seen at the Columbus Buddy Walk

I also write for the blog over at ds-connex, as some of you may already know. So for today’s post, I’m going to share the piece that was just posted over there. Enjoy!

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